Four Players Named All-MIAA (11/24/08)
Four Hope players were voted to the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) all-conference football teams.

Senior offensive tackle Erik Ladomersky of Grandville (Grandville HS) was voted to the All-MIAA first team for the third consecutive year. He is just the second Hope offensive tackle in school history to receive All-MIAA first team recognition three straight years, joining Craig Groendyk (1977-78-79).

Sophomore Kyle Dietrich of Gobles (Gobles HS) is being honored as an All-MIAA second teamer at two positions, wide receiver and return specialist. Dietrich led the MIAA in all-purpose yardage, catching 40 passes (league games) for 606 yards and averaging 25.3 yards on kickoff returns (12). For the entire season he had the fourth best pass reception total in school history with 64 catches for 966 yards.

Also named to the All-MIAA second team are junior tight end David DeBoer of Grosse Pointe (GP South HS), and junior linebacker Chris Batterbee of Gladwin (Gladwin HS). DeBoer caught 44 passes for 462 yards.

Flying Dutchmen End Season With Victory (11/22/08)
Box Score
Hope's 200-Yard Rushers
What was shaping-up to be a disappointing season ended on an upbeat note Saturday as the Flying Dutchmen posted their third straight victory by topping visiting Alma 45-27 in a makeup game played on a snow-covered Holland Municipal Stadium turf. The game had been postponed two weeks after Hope's campus was closed by health authorities because of a campuswide illness the second weekend in November.

Coach Dean Kreps' Dutchmen finished in a tie for third place in the final MIAA standings. Hope, Albion and Alma each finished 3-3 in league games behind Trine (6-0) and Adrian (5-1). Hope ended 3-7 overall.

Sophomore tailback Tim Elzinga, sidelined most of the season with a lingering ankle injury, rushed for a career-high 242 yards on 27 carries and scored two touchdowns. His total is the ninth highest single game performance in Hope football history. Junior fullback Adam Loveless also scored a pair of touchdowns whil gaining 43 yards on 14 rushes. Senior quarterback Jake Manning ended his career with a strong performance by completing 18-of-31 passes for 237 yards and a TD pass. Junior receiver Scott Snyder caught the TD pass and ended with receptions for 141 yards. Placekicker Steve Hazekamp kicked three field goals and was 4-for-4 on PATs. He ended the season with 18 consecutive successful PAT kicks.

Dutchmen Keep Wooden Shoes With Win (11/15/08)
Stats
For the first time this season the Flying Dutchmen have back-to-back victories after winning the Wooden Shoes rivalry game with a 42-16 triumph over Kalamazoo on Saturday.

Coach Dean Krep's Dutchmen improved to 2-3 in the MIAA and are 2-7 overall heading into a season-ending home game against Alma next Saturday. Coach Kreps has not lost to Kalamazoo since becoming head coach in 1995.

The Flying Dutchmen put together their most balanced offensive attack of the season with two running backs gaining more than 100 yards and three different receivers hauling down seven passes. Hope ended with 251 yards rushing and 304 yards passing.

Hope jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter, but Kalamazoo fought back to within a touchdown, 21-14, in the third quarter. The Flying Dutchmen responded with three unanswered touchdowns to seal the verdict.

Sophomore tailback Tim Elzinga rushed for 119 yards and scored two touchdowns on 20 carries while freshman tailback Josh Echtinaw had 105 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Fullback Adam Loveless rounded-out the rushing attack scoring two touchdowns. Quarterback Jake Manning completed 23-of-34 passes for 304 yards. Catching seven passes each were David DeBoer (110 yards and a TD), Kyle Dietrich (86 yards), and Scott Snyder (78 yards). Placekicker Steve Hazekamp was a perfect six-for-six on PATs extending his streak to 14 in-a-row.

Flying Dutchmen Get Season's First Win (11/1/08)
Box Score
The voices of Hope's 150 football players never sounded better late Saturday afternoon as the Flying Dutchmen raised their helmets and belted-out the school's "Fight Song" to declare a victory. A 38-13 victory over Olivet avoided the longest losing streak in the 99-year history of Hope football. The team came into the game winless in seven games this season. No Hope team has ever lost eight in-a-row. The Flying Dutchmen responded with a balanced attack that had a little of everything to off. Freshman tailback Josh Echtinaw rushed for 143 yards on 18 carries. Sophomore receiver Kyle Dietrich returned a kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown, in addition to catching seven passes for 89 yards and a TD. Placekicker Steve Hazekamp was a perfect 5-for-5 on PATs and kicked a 22-yard field. The Dutchmen had five quarterback sacks led by senior Kyle Eurick who had three. The win puts Hope at 1-7 on the season and 1-3 in the MIAA with two games remaining.

Flying Dutchmen Suffer Rare Loss to Adrian (10/25/08)
Box Score
Hope's football struggles continued Saturday as the Flying Dutchmen remained winless on the season after suffering a 39-3 loss to league-leading Adrian. Coach Dean Kreps' Dutchmen slipped to 0-7 on the season and 0-3 in the MIAA.

The host Bulldogs, who defeated Hope for just the second time this decade and is now 19-67 in the alltime series, scored on their first two possessions. Hope's lone points of the game came on a 34-yard field goal by Steve Hazekamp. Adrian followed with 26 unanswered points behind 447 yards of total offense.

The Flying Dutchmen were linmited to 138 yards of total offense. Quarterback Jake Manning came into the game averaging 293 yards passing, but was limited to 6-of-18 for 64 yards. Freshman tailback Josh Echtinaw, who received his first collegiate start, gained 53 yards on 14 carries, but Hope as a team was held to 64 yards on the ground.

Dutchmen Remain Winless in Loss at Albion (10/11/08)
Box Score
The Flying Dutchmen remained winless on the season bowing to rival Albion 28-21 Saturday. The loss puts Hope at 0-6 and marks the poorest start for a Hope team since 1961 when the Flying Dutchmen were 0-7 for the season. With four games remaining, it also means Hope will have its first losing season in 11 years.

The teams exchanged touchdowns three times before the Britons got the game-winner on a 75-yard punt return by Jacob Lee with five minutes left in the game. Hope quarterback Jake Manning scored one touchdown (two-yard run) and threw a pair of touchdown passes, one for eight yards to Kyle Dietrich and the second covering 37 yards to Scott Snyder.

Manning completed 15-of-29 passes for 202 yards. Kyle Dietrich caught five passes for 49 yards and Scott Snyder brought in three for 87 yards. Tailback Jon Rodriguez gained 77 yards on 23 carries. Punter Chris Feyes averaged 42 yards on five kicks.

Flying Dutchmen Remain Winless on Season (10/4/08)
Box Score
The Flying Dutchmen suffered a heartbreaking 31-30 Homecoming loss to visiting Trine (formerly Tri-State) Saturday to remain winless on the season. Coach Dean Kreps' Dutchmen slipped to 0-5 on the season in suffering their first Homecoming loss since 1997.

Hope fought back time-after-time against the undefeated Thunder, including scoring a touchdown with only 35 seconds remaining that trimmed Trine's lead to a single point. But it wasn't to be as Hope's attempt to kick the extra and tying point was blocked. It was the second time in the game that Trine defenders blocked a Hope PAT kick.

The loss overshadowed an outstanding passing/receiving performance by senior quarterback Jake Manning and sophomore receiver Kyle Dietrich. Manning just missed the single game record for passing yardage as he completed 32-of-45 passes for 497 yards (the record is 500) and four touchdowns. Dietrich shattered the single game record for reception yardage as he hauled in 14 passes that covered 285 yards. The old record was 210 yards by Joel Solomon against Wisconsin Lutheran in 2003. Dietrich and Scott Snyder each caught a pair of touchdown passes. The aerial attack overshadowed a dismal running attack that saw Hope gain only one net yard in 25 attempts.

Flying Dutchmen Go Winless Outside MIAA (9/27/08)
Box Score
Head coach Dean Kreps would probably rather not call his team's winless start a good omen, but if recent history proves itself that could well be the case. The Flying Dutchmen suffered their fourth straight loss to a nationally ranked team Saturday night bowing to Wheaton, Ill. 47-7. It marks the fourth straight year that the Flying Dutchmen have gone winless in their pre-MIAA games. The past three years Hope has reversed a cumulative 0-9 non-league record by posting an 18-3 conference mark that has included back-to-back championship the last year years.

The Thunder defeated the Flying Dutchmen for the eighth consecutive year with an offense that racked up 460 yards of total offense. Hope, meanwhile, was limited to 247 yards of total offense, including just 59 yards rushing. Hope's only touchdown was scored by tailback Jon Rodriguez on a one-yard run midway through the fourth quarter. Quarterback Jake Manning completed 18-of-40 passes for 177 yards. Nine of the completions were caught by Scott Snyder covering 69 yards.

Flying Dutchmen Suffer Third Defeat (9/20/08)
Box Score
The Flying Dutchmen suffered their third loss of the season Saturday, bowing to nationally ranked UW-Eau Claire 28-6.

The game was closer than the final score appeared as the host Blugolds scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to break open the game.

The Flying Dutchmen had an early chance when Matt Anderson intercepted his third collegiate pass and returned it to the Blugold 21. However, Hope was unable to advance the ball on its first series. The Blugolds responded with a 79-yard drive with Cory Sartoreli scoring on a one-yard plunge seven minutes into the game. Hope's defense compensated for a stalled offense when late in the first quarter linebacker Chris Batterbee recovered a UW fumble on the Hope 11. Jake Manning completed four straight passes and moved the Flying Dutchmen deep into UW territory, but the drive stalled forcing a punt. UW led 7-0 after the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter UW was knocking on Hope's goal line when the Hope defense again rose to the occasion with freshman Josh Echtinaw intercepting a Blugold pass in the end zone, his second of the season. Hope's offense couldn't take advantage and was forced to punt, but yet another UW turnover resulted in a fumble recovery giving Hope new life at midfield. But it was shortlived as UW intercepted Manning with seven minutes left in the first half. An 11-play drive late in the second quarter, culminated by a two-yard plunge into the end zone by Sartoreli to put the Blugolds ahead 14-0.

Hope got the ball on their own 28 with 1:46 left. Manning marched the Dutchmen down the field with a series of pass completions highlighted by a 6-yard completion for the touchdown to Kyle Dietrich. The PAT kick attempt was wide and Hope trailed 14-6 at the half.

The Flying Dutchmen opened the third quarter with an impressive drive that began on the Hope 20, but ended on the UW9. The drive consumed 17 plays and nearly eight minutes and included five Manning pass completions. The third quarter turned into a defensive struggle as the teams were scoreless on five possession exchanges.

UW struck for two touchdowns in the fourth, first on a short yardage fourth-down play and then on a 91-yard sprint. Hope, meanhile, had its chances, but had drives stopped on downs, including one inside the UW 5.

The Flying Dutchmen were limited to 40 yards rushing. Manning completed 25-of-54 passes for 279 yards to raise his career passing total to over 5,000 yards Kyle Dietrich caught 10 passes for 149 yards.

Carthage's total erased a mark that stood 87 years when then Western Normal (now Division I Western Michigan) scored 65 points against Hope. That game was 65-0, however.

Hope's 46 points was the most ever scored by the Flying Dutchmen in defeat. The previous mark was 45 points in a 55-45 loss to Wheaton in a 2003 NCAA playoff game.

And the 116 combined points by the teams is a record. The previous record was 110 points in Wheaton's 55-45 playoff triumph.

Six touchdowns were scored in the first quarter as the host Redmen gained a 28-14 advantage. The teams combined for 48 offensive plays in the first quarter. Hope tailback Tim Elzinga scored Hope's first two touchdowns, both on two-yard gains.

The teams were on a pace to eclipse several offensive records as the Red Men gained a 42-26 halftime lead. Tim Elzinga had his third touchdown of the game by halftime scoring on a four-yard. Quarterback Jake Manning kept the Dutchmen within striking distance as he hit tight end David DeBoer with a 14-yard scoring pass with 14 seconds left in the half.

Hope stayed within a pair of touchdowns most of the second half. Jake Manning threw three touchdown passes after intermission -- 11 yards to Kyle Dietrich, 22 yards to Scott Snyder and 15 yards to Jared Hudson.

The amassed 1,082 yards of total offense, Hope ending with 442 to Carthage's 641. Manning completed 25-of-57 passes for 328 yards. Tailback Tim Elzinga rushed for 115 yards on 19 carries. Leading the receivers were David DeBoer with seven catches for 65 yards, Scott Snyder with six covering 115 yards and Tim Carter with five for 89 yards.

The Flying Dutchmen are 0-2 and will be on the road again next Saturday at UW-EauClaire.

Flying Dutchmen Fall Short in Season Opener (9/6/08)
box score
Visiting Illinois Wesleyan spoiled Hope's Community Day season-opener on Saturday, topping the Flying Dutchmen 28-25 before more than 4,000 fans. The Flying Dutchmen staged a late rally and had the football in the closing minutes, but came up short in losing their season opener for the 19th time in the last 22 years.

Quarterback Jake Manning threw one touchdown pass and ran for two others. He completed 21-of-39 passes for 271 yards to an array of receivers. David DeBoer caught nine of them for 96 yards while Kyle Dietrich pulled down six covering 125 yards. Tailback Tim Elzinga rushed for 53 yards on 17 carries. Manning's touchdown runs covered one and four yards. His touchdown pass was an 11-yarder to Dietrich. Tailback Jon Rodriguez also scored a TD on a five-yard run.